


Ali Futaba and the Phantom Thieves

by CircusTalia



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves AU, I want to see how far I'll go with this first, put in Character Death just to be on the safe side, will add a rating later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-10-01 01:05:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17234522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CircusTalia/pseuds/CircusTalia
Summary: A recluse discovers the cave of thieves that were believed to be nothing more than a myth.





	1. The Priestess' Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young girl loses her mother and connection to the world.

Deep in the desert was a kingdom that was home to a powerful priestess of the Sphinx Temple. The priestess known as Wakaba Isshiki was renowned for her skill in magic, spirituality, and wisdom. Many sought her advice and she took on many apprentices who beheld her power. Priests and priestesses of neighboring temples had the utmost respect for her and her work. She was a leader in the exploration of spirits and knowledge. 

There was a time when the priestess Wakaba lessened her public appearances, and when she did come out, she wore long and wide dresses that never revealed her figure. Then one day, she came out of the temple with a baby in her arms. She declared that the baby's name was Ali Futaba and that she was her daughter.

Very few questioned the paternity of Ali Futaba. Most were willing to accept that their priestess simply had a divine birth and thus treated her daughter with such high regard.

The attention scared Ali Futaba. She often clung to her mother, hiding behind her and preferring to sit in the corner whenever her mother performed ceremonies or gave lectures. But the two loved each other very much, walking side by side as they walked the streets of the markets and the stairs of the temple. Wakaba taught her daughter all there was to learn about magic and speaking to spirits. And Ali Futaba excelled in her academics, making the priestess proud to no end. 

However, Wakaba was concerned about Ali Futaba's social growth. Ali Futaba was very attached to her and while Wakaba loved her daughter very much, she wanted her daughter to interact with other people. Wakaba knew her time in this world was limited and didn't want to leave her daughter alone without anyone to depend on. 

Ali Futaba, meanwhile, was content with just having her mother. So much so that she begged her mother to spend less time on her studies and more time on her. She declared that her mother was already the most intelligent woman in the kingdom, maybe even the world. Little did Ali Futaba know was that Wakaba was examining cases where people's spirits and moral were being manipulated. 

 

One day, Wakaba had left their home to perform a ritual at the Sphinx Temple with plans to head straight to the local college to finish up her studies. However, after Wakaba left the temple, none had seen her. That is until they found her body down the canal.

All who had loved her mourned over the loss of such a fantastic priestess. Ali Futaba was distraught. She lost the most important person in her life. The one who loved her like no other. And Ali Futaba would feel alone in the world at her mother's funeral.

It was there that a pair of strange men she had never met before announced in front of everyone in attendance the suicide note her mother left at the temple. The note read that the priestess had grown tired and stressed from having to care for her daughter. That it had been too much piled onto all of her respective duties. 

The once beloved and revered Ali Futaba was blamed for Wakaba's death. Many took to calling her a curse, a seedling of the devil sent to take away their beloved priestess. Ali Futaba ran away, locking herself up in her room. But she continued to hear their words of hatred. And they were louder than before. She didn't get any rest that night. Or the next.

 

A few days after the funeral, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Ali Futaba hid herself in a closet at that point, clinging to a blanket her mother weaved for her when she was a small child. 

"Ali Futaba," a gruff man's voice spoke outside. "I don't know if you remember me, but I worked with your mother when you were little. I know we haven't seen each other much and I sincerely apologize I couldn't make it to your mother's funeral."

Ali Futaba buried her face in the blanket.

"I heard what happened. And I realize my words may be meaningless with no proof, but had I gone I would have stopped them from saying such awful things."

The girl removed her glasses. They had been stained enough from her tears.

"Please, allow me to make it up to you. I'd like to offer you my home to reside in. I don't have much, but I would gladly make sure you were taken care of. You need not worry and you'll always be provided for. Please, I just...," the man paused. 

Ali Futaba closed her eyes as she would fall asleep to his footsteps turning around.

"I can't bare to see you suffer alone," the man's voice croaked. 

She opened her eyes, slowly opening her closet door. She thought she heard a small thud against the bedroom door.

"Your mother was amazing and I don't care what anyone says, I know she loved you so much. And it would be a disgrace as a person to stop loving you because of what some bozos had to say. Ali Futaba, I promise I won't leave you to fend for yourself in a world that's unforgiving."

Ali Futaba stepped out of the closet, putting her glasses back on after giving them a quick clean. She opened her door to see a man with receding hair who still maintained a beard. He wore glasses just like her, and they, too, had stains. She caught him wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye when she came to greet him.

She vaguely remembered him. It had been a few years, but she had seen him before.

And she was quick to wrap her arms around him. He hugged her back, patting her hair.

"It's alright," he told her softly. "It's alright."


	2. The Mysterious Newcomer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali Futaba isn't the only new tenant in Sojiro's care.

Sojiro Sakura. That was the name of Ali Futaba's new caregiver. He worked alongside her mother at the college. Prior to her mother's death, she didn't know what to make of him, but he did make her laugh from time to time. And now, she was moving in with him. 

He had retired from the college years before, opening up his own cafe in a quaint neighborhood that was further away from the Sphinx Temple. His home was not far from the cafe, the two buildings nearly conjoining. It made it easier for Sojiro to check on the cafe during emergencies or if he left something at home before going to work. 

Ali Futaba moved into his home, watching the cafe from her bedroom window. She was comfortable and Sojro did as he promised. He gave her food and clothes, even buying her gifts when he went into the city. Ali Futaba did her share, keeping the house tidy for Sojiro and leaving him reminders. The only place she didn't keep as clean was her room, but she didn't mind the mess. 

Unfortunately, the voices in her head never ceased. They grew in volume, no matter how hard she tried to drown them out. She was too afraid to leave the house, fearful that she would be unable to distinguish which voices were real and which ones were fake.

And so, she hid herself from the world. 

 

To keep herself entertained, she practiced her magic. She had gone beyond the standard levitation and basic healing. She summoned all sorts of items, changing the size and shape of her belongings. She placed strong protection spells on her abode and the cafe. And if she grew bored, she conjured up a seeing eye portal to watch the people of the outside world going about their lives. She'd normally keep her eye within the neighborhood, but she did occasionally use the portal to watch tournaments or plays for free and in the comfort of her own room, eating all the snacks she had. And she may have used magic to do the cleaning around the house.

Sojiro didn't mind her being a recluse. He respected her desire to protect herself and rarely scolded her for her use of magic. He would sometimes ask her for spells for his own personal gain, earning a good tease from his ward. 

While Ali Futaba watched the world from her room, she began to hear rumors of hearts and treasures being stolen. No one knew when or where these thefts started, but the rumors grew into stories and soon, everyone spoke of the Phantom Thieves.

Ali Futaba learned as much as she could about them, wondering how a person, let alone a group of people, could steal hearts. She wondered if her heart was worth stealing or if she could freely give it to them.

 

It had been two years after the death of her mother when Ali Futaba took a peek outside the cafe to see Sojiro with a young man with ragged, raven hair and a black cat on his shoulders. She looked at the boy suspiciously but was enamored with how cute the cat was. She was too engrossed with the cat that she did not realize all three were approaching the house. It wasn't until she heard the front door open that she realized what was going on.

Sojiro called her to come to the front door, and Ali Futaba immediately put her portal away.

She feigned ignorance as she left her room, shyly hugging the wall as she saw the three before her.

"It's okay, Ali Futaba. I'm right here."

Ali Futaba took easy steps as she approached the three.

"Ali Futaba, this good for nothing is my new apprentice, Akira. I thought I'd introduce you two so you wouldn't be scared if you start seeing him more often."

"Pleasure to meet you," Akira said.

Ali Futaba merely nodded. She looked at the cat on his shoulders, who was meowing softly in the boy's ear. She pointed a finger at him.

"Who is that?"

Akira glanced at the cat.

"Morgana." 

He beckoned her to come close, encouraging her to pet the cat. Ali Futaba gleefully took up his offer and scratched Morgana behind his ears and then she played with his paws.

"So soft..."

Sojiro gave a light chuckle. 

"Looks like she's taken more of an interest in the cat than you."

"Can Morgana stay here?!" Ali Futaba picked the cat up from Akira's shoulders and held him close to her chest. 

Sojiro was dumbfounded, earning a small smile from Akira. 

"You, shut up," Sojiro said to Akira. He turned his attention to Ali Futaba. "Well, I suppose there wouldn't be issues with the cat being here. Just use your magic to make sure he doesn't get fur all over the furniture."

Ali Futaba's grin grew wide. She snuggled against Morgana, happy to have him there.

"As for you," Sojiro addressed Akira once more. "I only brought you here so you know where to go in case something goes wrong. You're staying in the cafe's attic and don't expect me to carry your things. As soon as you're done unpacking, I'll give you a rundown on what to do around the cafe. Now get to it. I don't want to have to wait for you all day."

"Yes, sir."

Morgana gave a meow again, his head leaning forward in Akira's direction. Ali Futaba scratched his head.

"It's okay. You can go back with him later. For now, you can stay in my room." 

Ali Futaba scurried back, placing Morgana on her bed as she continued practicing her magic. She conjured up little costumes to place on the cat and summoned a few toys for him to play with. When she saw how tired Morgana looked, she summoned a plate of tuna for him to eat and set up a little resting spot for him on her bed for him to sleep. He seemed to enjoy the tuna as he purred while he ate before finally curling up and getting some sleep. She left the window open, allowing her furry friend to come and go from her room as he pleased.

 

It became custom for Morgana to come and go from the cafe to the house. Ali Futaba spied on Akira as best she could when Morgana left with him, but he was rather good at covering his trail. Not that there was much for Ali Futaba to go off on. As Sojiro had said, he worked at the cafe. Sojiro didn't speak much about him, only saying how Akira was a troublemaker that got caught and he took him under his good graces to be his apprentice to rehabilitate him from criminal to a functioning member of society. Sojiro didn't elaborate on what Akira had done to get in trouble, preferring not to get personally invested in the boy.

He did, however, seem personally invested in Morgana. She caught Sojiro more than once leaving a bowl of cat food and water out for him. When she questioned him on this, he replied that he was only concerned about the cat being taken care of. He would hate to have something bad happen to the cat due to poor health, especially on his property.

 

One late night, Ali Futaba was having trouble sleeping. The voices in her head were incredibly nasty that night, not allowing her to rest. She sat up from her bed and noticed Morgana wasn't in the room. She got up and looked out the window, expecting to see Morgana on a windowsill from the cafe. Instead, she saw Akira dressed in concealing, dark garments with Morgana on his shoulder. He held a talisman out in front of him, reciting something that Ali Futaba could not hear. She silently teleported out of her room, hiding against the wall as she witnessed a portal to the desert opening. Akira and Morgana went through the portal, Ali Futaba noticing Akira holding a bag under his arms. 

Fearful that he may have taken something from Sojiro, she clenched her fist and worked up the courage to follow them.

 

Entering the other side of sand, Akira walked a distance before standing in front of a cave. Ali Futaba trailed him, turning herself invisible so as not to be seen. The cave was blocked, however, by a boulder. It would take a giant to move it. To Ali Futaba's amazement, a giant was not summoned.

Instead, Akira raised his arm as he did before.

"Open Sesame."

Outlines of light glowed from the boulder, changing its form from to a pair of silver doors that opened wide. Akira and Morgana entered the cave, oblivious to Ali Futaba following them inside.


	3. A Cave of Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali Futaba discovers the cave of a legendary group.

The inside of the cave was magnificent. It was filled to the brim with the richest of treasures. Gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, and so much more. There was a gallery of paintings on one corner and a collection of swords on another. Ali Futaba looked up at the ceiling and was amazed to see brimming chandeliers hanging over them. There were other countless treasures to behold but Ali Futaba quickly stepped aside to watch the pair she followed taking out the bag they had tucked away.

Akira took a seat atop a velvet chair, one that was fit for a king. Morgana went from his shoulders to his lap. Then footsteps and voices were heard coming from behind Ali Futaba. She looked over her shoulder as she saw the shadows that approached and she walked back against a wall. 

Entering the cave were five mysterious people, all dressed in strange costumes. One who wore a skull over his face, another who wore a panther mask, one that wore armor, and one that wore extravagant robes. But the most troubling of them all was a creature Ali Futaba never dreamed she would meet in her wildest dreams. She recalled reading about this one in her world studies. The mischievous and terrifying inari. His wicked ears and robes that hide away his weapons. Ali Futaba realized she may have been thinking of a kitsune instead, but her mother taught her better than to trust any fox, thus she would continue to refer to the beast as an inari. 

"You're late," Akira spoke to them.

"Aw, c'mon, man," the walking skull spoke. "We can't all be like you."

"But we should strive to be more like him," the wicked inari added.

"Whatever. We're here already, ain't we?"

Akira tossed the bag to the floor. Ali Futaba took a few steps closer to see the contents inside. 

To her surprise, none of the items inside appeared to belong to Sojiro or the cafe. She expected coins or other materials, but what came out of the bag instead was a black and purple container in the shape of a heart. 

"You got another one, huh?" The panther picked up the heart container.

"Yup. It was super easy for this guy," Morgana spoke.

Morgana spoke?!

Ali Futaba covered her mouth as she jumped a little. How was that possible? Was he an enchanted a cat? A cat from the Spirit World? 

"Is this the heart of that pompous scribe?"

Akira nodded. 

"He stopped by the cafe and spoke of the vacation home he was staying in. It wasn't far and he didn't have any sort of protection for his home."

"So he was all talk with very little to show then," the armored one remarked. "I knew he couldn't have been that rich. It angers me that he was able to pull off such exaggerated lies to take advantage of those poor interns."

Ali Futaba was confused. Why were these thieves speaking about the person they stole from as a criminal instead of prey? 

"Well, now that we have his corrupted heart, he can't hurt them anymore," the elegant looking one pressed her fingers against the container. 

"He did have this," Akira pulled out a ruby ring from his robes. 

The inari picked it up, turning it over. 

"Exquisite. It's simple yet the marksmanship of this ring is detailed."

"At least it wasn't a total loss," the skull remarked. "I say our next target should be someone we know for sure is loaded."

"You know we don't decide on our targets based on something so trivial," the panther scolded.

Thieves who don't steal based on someone's riches? This was further confusing to Ali Futaba. Not only did that sound like a contradiction, but the cave proved otherwise. How else did they have such riches? 

 

Ali Futaba's thoughts became distracted when her eyes were set on an intricate looking toy in a nearby pile of treasures. It was a little cage with a propeller on top and it had a cat face in the front. She walked over to it as the thieves continued talking among themselves. She spun the wheel of the propeller before pressing its top, immediately triggering it. She yelped and fell back, crashing into gold and silver coins as the toy flew away from her and towards the group.

"What the?" the panther questioned. 

Everyone came rushing to the noise.

"Show yourself!" the armored thief held out a sword. 

Ali Futaba's invisibility magic became undone as she was caught by red handed by the thieves. The thieves had gone from an offense position to that of confusion. The armored one lowered her blade.

"Is that...a little girl?" the panther asked in confusion.

Ali Futaba's arms were shaking. They would do something horrible to her for sure. 

"What? How did someone so young get in here?" the skull's mouth was agape.

"I'm not that young!" Ali Futaba corrected before turning her head away from them.

"Hey, it's okay. We won't hurt you," the regal looking one approached slowly.

Morgana screeched.

"Oh no! It's the Boss' ward!"

"The boss? Oh, you mean the cafe owner, right?" the skull asked.

"Yes," Akira confirmed as his eyes set down on Ali Futaba. He took a few easy steps. "She's only one year my junior."

"Seriously?!" Skull and Panther were in awe. 

With Akira standing in front of her, Ali Futaba bit her lip as she turned her hands into fists. 

"If you came into Sojiro's life to steal his heart, I'll...I'll..."

Akira rested his hands on hers. 

"It's okay," he said softly, lowering her fists. "Sojiro is a good man. He has nothing to worry about."

Ali Futaba looked at the thieves. They didn't ready themselves for an attack. She looked above the ceiling and back at the floor. No visible traps. She closed her eyes and used her magic to sense if there were any hidden ones. None. She opened her eyes, feeling a little less scared, but still untrustworthy of the group.

"Who are you and what kind of thieves are you supposed to be?"

Grins formed on their faces. 

"We are thieves who seek justice."

"Thieves who fight for those who cannot fight for themselves."

"Thieves who steal from the wicked."

"Thieves who steal the selfish desires of cruel tyrants."

"We are the Phantom Thieves!"

Ali Futaba couldn't believe it. What had been stories told by passerbys and cafe regulars were true. She was in the cave of vigilantes. And two of them lived right across from her. Faces she saw on a regular basis but did little to get to know the boy. 

"But...how?"

"It's a long story," the inari revealed.

"I...," Ali Futaba shifted her gaze.

"What are we supposed to do now?" the skull asked. "Do we really just let her go? Maybe we can give her something to erase her memories?"

"Don't you dare!" Ali Futaba yelled. "I have magic and I'm not afraid to use it!"

The group was silent for a moment until Akira spoke.

"It's true. She'll use it on all of us."

They all gasped. Morgana whispered something in Akira's ear, with Akira silently responding. 

"Seriously?!" the cat screeched.

"What do we do, Leader?" the regal looking one asked.

 

Akira made a step forward. He looked down at Ali Futaba, removing his glasses and tucking them in his pocket.

"Ali Futaba," his voice echoed throughout the cave. "I have an offer for you."

Ali Futaba looked at him in confusion. She slid her foot back. 

"Use your magic to help those who lack your skills. Free people from the judgement and cruelty society has placed on them. Become one of us. Become a Phantom Thief."

The other thieves' eyes widened. She could hear whispers of "what's he thinking?" and "is that his best option?" She saw Morgana looking at them, and for a cat that lacked much expression, she could sense that he was trying to silently apologize to them. It was all so sudden. She just found out Sojiro's apprentice was a Phantom Thief and now he wants her to join them.

"I...," she put her hands behind her back. It's not that she didn't agree with them; awful people deserve to be punished. So why was she hesitating? Right, all eyes were on her. They never looked away from her. And those voices, they were starting to emerge. She closed her eyes and covered her ears. 

"Oh no," Morgana spoke. "She's panicking."

"Ali Futaba," other voices spoke in concern.

Ali Futaba took a breath. When she opened her eyes again, Akira held a pair of goggles. 

"What is..." She removed her hands from her ears.

"If you decide to join us, you'll need these. If not, you should take them anyway. The desert gets windy this time of year."

She kept her hands close to her chest.

"You won't be mad if I don't join?"

Akira shook his head. 

"But you're sure you want me?"

He nodded. "We can help. You can use your magic to your heart's desire and help those in need along the way. And we can help you, too."

She looked down at the googles.

"What if I can't be helped?"

"Anyone can. That's why we do what we do."

Ali Futaba thought about her life before. Where she kept herself inside. And it was because of how awful the world had been to her. She had to protect herself. Now she had the chance to protect others. The voices never ceased to begin when she secluded herself. Maybe they could find a way to get rid of them. Ali Futaba picked up the goggles from Akira's hands.

"I'm in."


	4. What Felt Like a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ali Futaba joining the Phantom Thieves, it surely must be a dream. Right?

"Are you serious?" the Skull asked.

Akira shrugged.

"I believe this can be a relationship that benefits us all." 

"I can't say I approve of how you worded that," the regal looking one shifted her feet. "But you are our leader. And thus, we will follow your every command."

Ali Futaba raised an eyebrow. "Am I expected to be as obedient as these guys?"

Akira shook his head. "All I ask is for your trust and aid. We are all free here. It is what we fight for after all."

It was kind of intimidating to see these group of people following Akira's every word. During the time she would see him outside her window, he would be the one following someone else's orders, whether it be Sojiro or the customers that visit the cafe. She wondered how he became such an esteemed leader to a group of vigilantes. 

Her silence was noticed as the panther broke the silence.

"Oh, since you're one of us now, I suppose we should introduce ourselves. I'm Panther."

"Skull."

"Queen."

"Noir."

"And I'm-"

"Inari!" Ali Futaba guessed, raising a finger in the air.

The inari blinked. "Inari?"

Snickers were heard from the others.

"Don't laugh," he huffed. "And for your information, my name is Fox."

Morgana pounced in front of her feet. 

"You already know who he and I am," his head gestured to Akira. "However, we, too, go by aliases. I am the all powerful Mona and this guy goes by Joker."

"All powerful?" Skull crossed his arms as did Panther and Queen with their brows furrowed.

"Heh, well, I suppose simply Mona will do-ACK!"

Ali Futaba knelt down and rubbed the cat's cheeks. She ignored his pleas of discomfort. 

"So cute," she cooed. 

She let him go once she was satisfied with petting him.

"Oh, but you, too, will need a new name," Akira, or rather Joker, informed. "Is there a name you'd like bestowed upon you?"

Ali Futaba never thought about choosing a name for herself. She thought she would have to earn her name or show some type of special characteristic that was unique to her. But Goggles was both a rash nickname and a stupid one. She may as well have been called Bad Luck considering all the misery she seemed to cause. But if a name is to be earned, then who's to say that she couldn't live up to it in time. They agreed to help her with her magic and she'd most likely be using it to seek out future victims of theirs. Thus, an idea came to her.

"Oracle. I want to be called Oracle...."

"Oracle it is then," Joker decreed. He looked at a sundial that was somehow accurate in time despite being inside a cave. "Sunrise is nearly here. We shall reconvene tomorrow night and discuss our next move."

"Understood," Fox nodded. 

 

Ali Futaba followed closely behind Joker as they all exited the cave. Despite their hesitance at letting her join, the Phantom Thieves shot quick smiles at her when they turned to her direction. She tried not to pay attention to them. She put her goggles on as they reached the end of the cave. 

The winds were low and soft. Bits of sand attacked their faces, but nothing they weren't used to from living in the desert. Mona was perched atop Joker's shoulders, making a headcount of everybody and whispering something in Joker's ear. Joker faced the cave and raised his arms. 

"Close Sesame."

And like that, the entrance to the grand and magnificent cave was sealed once again as a boulder rose up from the sands and blocked its entrance. Ali Futaba's mouth was agape. She couldn't even do that much with her magic. She had to learn how they figured out such a trick. 

The rest of the Phantom Thieves pulled out a talisman each, similar in design to the one Joker held when he left Sojiro's estate. Portals formed everywhere as they all said their goodbyes. Akira summoned his portal and urged her to follow him. 

 

The rest of the night was a blur.

The following morning, Ali Futaba awoke in her bed. The same ceiling. The same blanket over her body. She wondered if it had all been a dream. Her window was open as the curtains gently brushed the wall and the window frame. She sat on the side of the bed and put her glasses on. Once her vision was clear, a pair of goggles laid on her desk. 

She reached for them, inspecting them. They were the same pair from her dream. Perhaps Sojiro left them there as a gift?

Unbeknownst to her, Morgana had been in the room. She sighed and smiled at him, holding her hand out for him to come purr against her palm.

"I had the most incredible dream!" she recounted. "I dreamed that I had met the Phantom Thieves and that you were one of them and that you could talk!"

"You're going to have to get used to that," Morgana walked past her as he jumped on her chair. 

Ali Futaba blinked. 

_It was real?!_

"Now then, normally I make sure Joker is up to par with his training, but I suppose I'll have to supervise you for today considering you're one of us now. Show me all the magic you can perform."


End file.
